Paxum Matches Donations To Pineapple Support

As a preferred payment method for adult industry performers, Paxum is taking a stand in the fight for performer rights and personal safety by matching donations to Pineapple Support.

According to the company, a year ago shock waves rippled through the adult industry when news spread that beautiful and talented performer August Ames had tragically taken her own life as a result of mental illness. The distressing news came quickly after several other adult performer suicides and made a huge impact on the industry, with many performers expressing shock, confusion, and grief. As a result, some offered themselves to their colleagues for support and comfort should they find themselves in a similar position.

For one performer in particular though, Leya Tanit, the news of so many performer suicides in just a few short months compelled her to take urgent action to create a positive change for performers’ mental health worldwide. Through pure determination and dedication coupled with valuable industry support, just a few months later, Tanit’s idea is already a concrete reality with her founding of Pineapple Support — a registered non-profit organization dedicated to providing 24/7 mental health support for all industry performers, with no discrimination, judgment or stigma attached.

When the Winter Holiday season approaches many of us find the shortened days and colder temperatures can contribute to increased feelings of negativity, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. For some people, suicidal thoughts can push through more prominently during the winter; more than in any other season, so as human beings it’s important to provide support to our fellow human beings when we can.

Paxum wholeheartedly backs Pineapple Support and its goal to support all adult performers. To provide these services takes funding, and so Paxum will be matching all donations to Pineapple Support during December and January, up to $2,000, when sent through Paxum.

“We invite you to join us to help make a difference for all performers in the adult industry,” Paxum’s Ruth Blair says, explaining that “Every donation counts, whether you donate $1, $5, $10, or $100, Paxum will match you!”

Blair says every penny will go to Pineapple Support, which as a registered non-profit organization, can use Paxum services completely free.

“Providing this much-needed service to the adult industry through Pineapple Support is something I feel extremely passionate about,” Tanit explains, “and with companies such as Paxum not only sharing this passion but generously offering their support, we are able to offer therapy, counseling, and emotional support to the many who often could otherwise fall through the cracks.”

To donate, simply send your donation via Paxum to contact@pineapplesupport.org.

For more information, click here.

Pineapple Support and 7 Cups of Tea Internship Program

Are you a student in a Social and Human Services program looking to gain field placement or practicum hours?

Are you LGBTQ friendly, sex positive and kink aware?

If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then why not sign up to be an active listener for Pineapple Support, the adult industry support network?

The Pineapple Support online emotional support service is provided through 7 Cups of Tea. It allows members and guests to anonymously connect with trained listeners in order to gain support for everyday issues, including mental health.

7 Cups of Tea Internship Program
7 Cups of Tea is a great place for students to serve as non-paid interns and in turn receive credit for their academic programs.

What type of student would benefit from working with Pineapple Support through 7 Cups of Tea?
Any open minded student enrolled in a Social and Human Services program where a certain number of field placement or practicum hours are required to complete a certificate/degree can participate:
• Undergraduate programs in Health & Human Services, Psychology
• Graduate programs in Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Master of Social Work
• Ph.D. & Psy.D. programs

Students who bring their life experience, academic skills, genuine passion for helping those in need and who also have aspirations of working in the behavioral health field, will likely find this work very rewarding.

Will 7 Cups of Tea provide supervisors?
7 Cups of Tea is unable to provide supervisors at this time. Many of our interns request a local social worker or a faculty member to act as their supervisors. We provide you with the perfect platform to interact with clients and to learn from other peer listeners in the community.

Are only students eligible to intern with 7 Cups of Tea?
While this program is geared towards students, anyone with an enthusiasm to help others while learning about mental health is welcome to register. The internship certificate will add great value to any resume for a job or college application.

What are the benefits of interning at 7 Cups of Tea through Pineapple Support?
• Further develop active listening communication skills.
• Build therapeutic relationships with users/members of the site.
• Create a personal profile page that highlights your interests and future career goals.
• You will be providing a much needed service to an often forgotten demographic.
• Learn from other veteran listeners in the community.
• Gain solid experience before working “in the field.”
• Add meaningful volunteer experience to your resume.

How do I become an intern with 7 Cups of Tea?
1. Visit www.pinepplesupport.org and click VOLUNTEER in the top menu bar.
2. Complete at least two 1-1 support and five group support chats.
3. Click here to complete our internship registration form.
4. You will receive the internship starter kit within 3-5 business days of your application date.
5. Upon successful completion of the internship, you will be awarded with a certificate.

Pineapple Support Strikes Deal with Industry Attorney Corey D. Silverstein

Pineapple Support is pleased to announce that in addition to engaging adult industry Corey D. Silverstein and his firm Silverstein Legal as retained counsel, a deal has been struck where Silverstein Legal attorneys will be made available to Pineapple Support clients who require legal services at special rates.

Launched in response to the many lives lost to suicide in the adult industry, Pineapple Support provides free mental health support, psychotherapy and counselling to all persons working in the adult online entertainment industry. Founder of the non-profit Leya Tanit states “Without discrimination, judgement or stigma, Pineapple Support will alleviate the isolation felt by many performers.”

Silverstein Legal was founded in 2006 by industry attorney Corey D. Silverstein and prides itself as being the premiere boutique law firm representing all facets of the adult industry. The services Silverstein Legal provides includes, business law, civil litigation, contracts, criminal defense, dispute resolution, entertainment law, internet law, intellectual property, first amendment (free speech), media law, and more. More information about Silverstein Legal and adult industry attorney Corey D. Silverstein can be found at http://MyAdultAttorney.com.

“Mental health and support services has often been a neglected area in the adult industry and it’s clear that Pineapple Support is being built to quickly fill the gap.” said Corey D. Silverstein. “In speaking with and getting to know, Leya Tanit, it became clear to me that Leya’s passion and desire to improve support services for performers is the driving force in her life.” Silverstein continued. “Leya inspired me to want to help which is why I’m very pleased to announce that Silverstein Legal will offer special rates for Pineapple Support clients who are seeking legal services.”

“Corey D Silverstein is a well known and respected figure in the adult industry, when he offered not only his to counsel to Pineapple Support but to provide our clients with special rates I was overwhelmed by his kindness and generosity.” Said Leya. “Finding an attorney with such extensive knowledge of the adult industry is extremely hard and generally expensive. Corey’s help has allowed Pineapple Support to free up much needed resources and enabled us to provide therapy to more performers and producers who need our help.” “Extending his offer of special legal rates to all of those coming to us for emotional support and therapy helps to ensure a level of safety and education that I know will make a huge difference to many in the industry.”

Pineapple Support is a Delaware non-profit in the process of applying for 501c3, tentatively expecting completion in early 2019.

Pineapple Support Combats CyberBullying with #BullyBusters Campaign

Anti Bullying week 2018 is November 12-16th and Pineapple Support is launching an online campaign to help tackle cyber bullying, combating negativity with positivity.

“Being bullied is oftentimes thought of as simply having to put up with unpleasant behavior. A more realistic perspective is thinking of bullying as a traumatic, torturous, and systematic destruction of a person’s self-worth and self-belief. The damage inflicted can be devastating.”

Social media plays a huge part in the life of every person working in the adult industry; twitter in particular is one of the most popular sites as it is the only mainstream platform without censorship. When a performer opens a Twitter account it allows their fans and any one of Twitter’s millions of users, to interact with them, they become instantly accessible.
Small thoughts are published often without due consideration and once out for the world to see, it is too late to retract a statement possibly said in anger or with a few too many wines in the system. Public reactions to single posts have resulted in textual attacks from strangers, fans and peers. These attacks can get personal and incessant.

In this TED talk Monika Lewinsky speaks of her experience with cyberbullying and how compassion helped to combat shame – The video is 20 minutes but a wonderful watch.

The recent examples of cyber bullying have been in short, disturbing, with young men and women taking their own lives due to the way in which both the public and other industry performers have treated them. We should never underestimate the power of words and the effect they can have, particularly if a person is already feeling vulnerable.

This effect works both ways and Pineapple Support is starting a revolution of kindness and compassion. The #BullyBusters campaign combats the negative remarks of cyberbullies by encouraging others to leave positive comments, to reach out to individuals and show support. This should be done without engaging in any conversation with the bully or with any reference to the bully’s comments.
If you see someone being bullied, simply write something nice about that person and #bullybusters to encourage others to do the same.

 

 

While researching for Bullying Awareness Week we came across some useful blogs about what to do if you or someone else is being bullied on social media, the links are below.

https://help.twitter.com/en/safety-and-security/cyber-bullying-and-online-abuse

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/twitter-harassment-cyberbullying

 

Clips4Sale And Pineapple Support Team Up and Take Action

As we reach the end of another year we look back on 2018 and recall fond memories of shows attended and milestones reached. Sadly not all memories are happy ones, 2018 saw the loss of many lives in the industry, shining stars, friends and peers. When Clips4Sale heard of Pineapple Support’s mission to provide outreach, emotional support and assistance to those working in the adult industry, they immediately offered resources.

For over 15 years Clips4Sale has continued to be the #1 clip download site. Proudly representing all producers and models that wish to share their videos with the world. With over 1,000 categories to choose from and over 7 million video clips, it is clear why Clips4Sale is continuing to attract those wanting to sell or purchase adult video clips.

“Clips4Sale is proud to be a sponsor of Pineapple Support Charity.” Said Neil, visionary founder of Clips4Sale. “After many years of seeing first hand the struggles people in the industry have, I am very proud to be able to work with a great charity that can offer help to those individuals who need it the most.”

After the recent tragic events that left the adult industry in shock, the non-profit organization was formed. Pineapple Support provides emotional support and mental health care to all those working in the adult industry. Founder and president of Pineapple Support Leya Tanit said, “Our industry has lost too many beautiful souls, it is time we took action.”

“Since I began my career in the adult industry back in 2010, Clips4Sale have always been a company I look upon fondly.” Said Leya, “Their ethos to treat every producer and model equally, no matter their ranking, status, looks, sexual preference or fetish is one close to my heart. Neil actually has his personal mobile number available on the website for studio owners to contact him directly. This approach to the business, to look at producers and talent as individuals rather than assets is part of what makes Clips4Sale a very special company within this industry.”

Clips4Sale are set to become a major sponsor of Pineapple Support once US legal filings are confirmed and have already shown their support over the past few months by providing Pineapple with resources at adult conventions across the US. They have most recently sponsored the production of a Pineapple Support 2019 calendar, which will be available to buy online at www.PineappleSupport.com and at industry conventions over the coming months. Leya Tanit adds, “During these first few months, I honestly don’t know what Pineapple Support would have done without Clips4Sale’s support and shared vision.”

Pineapple Support is a registered charity in the UK and is currently filing in the US as a 501c3 non-profit. Confirmation is anticipated early 2019.

 

To become a sponsor of Pineapple Support or to provide resources to assist with their work, please visit www.PineappleSupport.org

Pineapple Sundae Radio Show Now Available As Podcast

The Pineapple Sundae radio show which is hosted by Pineapple Support’s President Leya Tanit and UK based therapist Shelly is broadcast live every Sunday at 12pm EST on Demonseed Radio and has been growing from strength to strength since it was launched on the 13th of May this year.

Pineapple Sundae hosts discuss different mental health topics each week and interview some of the industry’s biggest stars, new talent and veterans, inviting them to share their personal experiences and opinions. Although many of Pineapple Sundae’s topics may be serious, co-hosts Leya and Shelly always manage to keep a good balance of compassion and humor throughout the two hour shows.

To date the pair has discussed everything from substance misuse, depression, anxiety and coping with suicide, to maintaining a good work/life balance, relationship in the industry and being kinky.

This week all the episodes that have been aired to date were made available to listen to as podcasts. Leya Tanit states “It is of paramount importance that the complexities working in the adult industry can have on a performer’s life and therefore their mental health are discussed openly. It not only helps others within the industry understand that they are not alone in their experiences, but exposes consumers to the fact that performers are real people.”

Pineapple Sundae podcasts are available at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pineapple-sundae/id1439021361?mt=2

MojoHost Provides Web Hosting For Pineapple Support

Adult industry’s most established web hosting company MojoHost has provided Pineapple Support with free web hosting for both their UK and US non-profit websites.

MojoHost is regarded as the favourite web hosting site for adult sites and for us it is clear why. Solely focused on hosting solutions, MojoHost is distinguished by its unrelenting commitment to customer satisfaction and constant innovation. Sound financial practices and continued reinvestment have given MojoHost unrestrained ability to attract exceptional, caring staff and employ leading hardware and software to deliver a superior hosting experience.

The company will soon be announcing the launch of MojoCloud, “the first high performance purpose-built cloud to serve the adult space. It will come to market with petabytes of available S3 compatible storage, terabytes of RAM and almost a thousand CPU cores.” MojoHost is “changing the way digital entertainment is served with its turnkey integration into MojoCDN’s global footprint.”

MojoHost’s CEO Brad Mitchell has taken in avid interest in Pineapple Support since he was first introduced to the organization earlier this year. Leya Tanit, president of Pineapple Support states “I honestly believe that without Brad’s advice and friendship, Pineapple Support would not have accomplished all that it has in the past few months.”

MojoHost provides service to more than 800 adult companies around the world, representing more than 50,000 adult websites and Pineapple Support couldn’t be happier to become part of their ever growing Mojo family.

“Thank you Brad and MojoHost for your kindness and continued support.” – Leya

#ThatsGoodMojo

#ProtectYourPineapples

Whatever size fruit you have in your basket – Remember to perform a self-exam once a month.

October is breast cancer awareness month, that doesn’t just mean turning half your wardrobe pink, changing your company logo (oh the irony) and proudly pinning a pink ribbon to every outfit.

Breast cancer awareness is about remembering to give yourself a self-exam once a month, it means supporting women affected by it and it means being grateful for your own health.

Each year 1.4 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer, that includes 1 in every 8 women in the USA. But early detection can make a huge difference to beating breast cancer and we think that’s something worth raising awareness about!

So whether your mammaries are like melons or your chesticles are more like cherries we would like to help you get to know your breasts and detect if there is a possible problem.

 

 

To show your support and raise awareness we would like to ask you to join our campaign. After your self-exam, take a photograph of yourself , covering your credentials with your choice of fruit and post in on social media. Remembering to tag @PineappleYSW #ProtectYourPineapples and link back to this blog to ensure as many women as possible join us and protect their pineapples.

Breast cancer is not always detectable by a lump or hard mass, sometimes the symptoms are visual.

Some changes in your breasts are perfectly normal, but if you are worried, it is always best to visit your doctor.

What is it that you are feeling for?

When feeling for a lump, check from your armpit, to your collarbone, down to the bottom of your rib cage. A cancerous lump feels different from a normal breast lump, it often feels hard and immovable and can be any shape or size.

Getting to know your breasts is really important and the best time to give yourself a self-exam is just after your period when things are most normal.

Remember, when breast cancer is found early, survival rates are incredibly high.

Be proactive in caring for our health, self-exam once a month, eat well, exercise regularly and help raise awareness #ProtectYourPineapples

Pineapple Inspire Competition Winner

We would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who entered our September competition and shared with us their favourite inspirational quote and of course to the amazing team at Sliquid who provided us with the prize of $100 hamper of slippery Sliquid products.

We had so many fantastic entries, it was almost impossible to choose a favourite, so we let you decide and have gone with the post that gained the largest amount of likes.

The winner with 55 likes is e-girlfriend Annabelle Adams and her quote from Thomas Edison “The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

Congratulations Annabelle!!!

Becoming Aware Of Suicide

As September draws to a close I thought it only right to speak about my becoming aware of suicide and all that I have learned since starting my journey with Pineapple Support back in January 2018.

Suicide awareness… I used to think this was a ridiculous statement… everyone is aware that suicide exists. But now, after everything I have learned over the past 9 months I understand that suicide awareness is not about being aware of the existence of suicide, it is about being aware of why it happens and being aware of what people go through, not just those willing to take their own life, but also those who are left behind.

“A selfish act”, I hang my head in shame when I admit to you now that this was my attitude. “How could someone do this to their family?” “Do they not think about all the people that they are leaving behind?”.
Yes, when a person is at a point in their life where they feel that death is their only escape, they most likely are thinking of themselves, or they could be thinking that the world would be better off without them. Either way they are not thinking logically about the devastation and broken hearts left behind. They are in an introspective world where the dark voices in their heads are the only ones they can hear. The feeling of anger at those who chose to leave us is a perfectly natural emotion, a part of the healing process and not one that should be brushed aside.

So many people have reached out to me personally to tell me their stories and I feel incredibly privileged that they have all been so open and candid when sharing their experiences. Opening up about not only the combination of emotions felt but also the legal and financial implications. It has been an education and one that I am extremely appreciative of.

It was in responses to the shocking number of suicides in the adult industry last year and the beginning of this year that Pineapple Support was launched. I hope with all my heart that with this education and the continued support of those inside and outside of the industry, we are able to offer guidance, therapy and hope to all those effected by such tragic experiences.

Love and Pineapples,
Leya Tanit